Guinea basketball: rebounding in style

Knocked out in the last window of qualifiers for the FIBA World Cup 2023, after defeats to Cape Verde (78-70) and Nigeria (59-62) and a win over Uganda (47-88), Guinea still have plenty of momentum. From 122nd in 2021 to 75th in 2023, Guinea have made a remarkable climb. A leap in quality that delights the secretary general of the Guinean basketball federation. "It's a huge source of pride. We went from 122nd in 2021 to 75th in 2023. In 2021, Guinea were the second best climbers in the world and the best among young players. It's something to be proud of," says Oumar Camara Sampil.

He continues: "It proves that with a structured organisation you can achieve extraordinary things. Just to show you how big the gap was. It proves the progress Guinea have made in such a short time," the governing body's SG notes.

In February 2023, Guinea took part in the FIBA World Cup 2023 qualifiers, a first in their history. With these performances and results steadily improving over the past few years, ambitions have been raised. "It proves all the work done by the federation, the players, the coaches and the technical staff to achieve this progress. Why not reach the top 50 within the next two years," hopes Oumar Camara Sampil.

A bright future for local basketball

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For some years now, a crisis has been undermining basketball in Guinea. The national Ligue 1 championship is suspended. Even so, the Syli basket keep shining across the various age categories. For the secretary general of the Guinean basketball federation, these achievements are the fruit of grassroots work. "The federation doesn't focus only on the seniors. We work with all the youth categories, which is what allows Guinea to get these results. We have a profile that lets us attract all the best young Guineans. For us it's extraordinary", says Oumar Camara Sampil.

To give young players short of competition a lift, a tournament for training centres was launched in Guinea. The initiative has given the various national coaches players at their disposal who can represent Guinea in the different youth categories.

"The future of local Guinean basketball looks brighter than ever. The U18 team that played in Madagascar is made up of 90% players from the national championship. When you look at our national teams, they are made up of 80% players from local basketball", explains the federation's secretary general.

SLAC, the reigning Guinean champions, have taken part in the last two editions of the Basketball African League (BAL). For this third season, placed in the Nile Conference (Egypt), the Guinean champions, who reached the quarter-finals of the previous edition in Rwanda, intend to build on this momentum with a relatively young core. "The SLAC team is made up of 80% young players based in Guinea. 8 players under 22 make up the SLAC squad that will take part in the Basketball African League. The country and the federation are giving more opportunities to their young players", says Oumar Camara Sampil.

Lacking infrastructure that meets international standards, Guinea have for some years been putting in good performances on the world stage. From 122nd in 2021 to 75th in 2023, the future looks promising. There is no doubt that with top-quality sports facilities, the country could dream of dominating the top places on the continent.

Mamadou Gongorè DIALLO